JBT Marel Unveils Revitalized Customer Innovation Center in Lakeland, Florida
JBT Marel, a global leader in advanced automation solutions for the food and beverage industry, has officially unveiled its newly renovated Customer Innovation Center (CIC) in Lakeland, Florida. The upgraded facility represents a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation, sustainability, and customer collaboration. Positioned as JBT Marel’s premier destination for sustainable food technology, the Lakeland CIC is designed to support customers across diverse sectors, including fresh fruits and vegetables, ready meals, beverages, dairy, and other value-added food categories.
The modernization of the Lakeland facility reflects JBT Marel’s broader mission to transform the future of food production. By enhancing infrastructure, expanding testing capabilities, and introducing immersive digital experiences, the company has created a next-generation environment where customers can experiment, validate, and scale their food processing operations with confidence.
A Global Network of Innovation and Collaboration
JBT Marel operates dozens of Customer Innovation Centers around the world, each designed to bring customers closer to the technologies that power modern food production. These centers serve as collaborative environments where food producers work directly alongside JBT Marel experts to test products on advanced equipment, refine processes, and address challenges related to efficiency, quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance.
At the Lakeland CIC, customers can run real products through JBT Marel machinery in a controlled, real-world production setting. This hands-on experience enables companies to evaluate equipment performance, optimize line configurations, and explore digital solutions before making large-scale capital investments. The facility functions as both a demonstration platform and a problem-solving hub, allowing businesses to identify opportunities for yield improvement, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and throughput enhancement.
In addition to private demonstrations, the center hosts industry events, training programs, and technology showcases. It also integrates virtual reality (VR) capabilities, enabling customers to visualize complete processing lines and operational workflows in immersive detail. This blended physical-digital approach ensures that customers can make data-driven decisions grounded in both practical experience and forward-looking innovation.
Commitment to Sustainable Food Technology
The renovation of the Lakeland CIC reinforces JBT Marel’s strategic focus on sustainability and responsible food production. As global demand for safe, high-quality food continues to grow, processors face increasing pressure to operate more efficiently while minimizing environmental impact. The upgraded facility empowers customers to explore solutions that support these objectives.
According to CEO Brian Deck, the company remains committed to creating positive impact and lasting value for customers, communities, and the global food system. The Customer Innovation Centers play a central role in this mission by providing an environment where technologies can be tested, validated, and scaled responsibly. By facilitating experimentation and refinement in a controlled setting, JBT Marel helps customers reduce risk while accelerating innovation cycles.
Through advanced automation, data analytics, and precision processing systems, the Lakeland CIC demonstrates how modern equipment can improve product consistency, enhance food safety, and reduce resource consumption. These capabilities are increasingly essential as food manufacturers adapt to evolving consumer preferences, stricter regulations, and sustainability targets.
Expanded Laboratory Capabilities for Quality and Safety
One of the most significant enhancements at the renovated Lakeland facility is the addition of a new microbiology laboratory, complementing the existing analytical and wet chemistry labs. These expanded laboratory capabilities provide customers with comprehensive testing services that evaluate product quality, integrity, and safety.
The microbiology lab enables detailed analysis of microbial activity, ensuring that food products meet stringent safety standards before scaling to full production. Meanwhile, the analytical and wet chemistry labs support testing of ingredients, formulations, packaging materials, and processing conditions. Together, these labs accelerate product development timelines by allowing companies to conduct rigorous evaluations on-site.
By performing testing in-house, customers benefit from direct collaboration with JBT Marel specialists. This approach reduces downtime and eliminates the delays and added expenses often associated with third-party laboratory services. Instead of shipping samples externally and waiting for results, customers can refine processes in real time within the CIC environment.
As an FDA- and USDA-recognized process authority, JBT Marel is equipped to validate processing parameters and provide expert guidance on regulatory compliance. This recognition gives customers added confidence that their products and processes meet industry standards and government requirements. The integration of laboratory services within the CIC underscores JBT Marel’s holistic approach to food technology—combining equipment, expertise, and regulatory insight under one roof.
Modernized Design Enhances the Customer Experience
Beyond its technical upgrades, the Lakeland CIC has been thoughtfully redesigned to create an engaging and inspiring customer environment. A modernized second-level, all-glass customer lounge now overlooks the production floor, offering visitors a panoramic view of live equipment demonstrations in action. This elevated vantage point allows stakeholders to observe full production lines while engaging in strategic discussions in a comfortable setting.
The inclusion of a dedicated VR Immersive Space further enhances the visitor experience. Through virtual reality technology, guests can explore entire processing lines, examine equipment configurations, and visualize plant layouts in dynamic, interactive formats. This capability is especially valuable for customers evaluating large-scale installations or considering facility redesigns.
The renovated center also features three distinct equipment bays, enabling JBT Marel to showcase more comprehensive processing lines. By representing fuller production systems, the company can demonstrate how individual machines integrate into seamless, end-to-end solutions. This holistic perspective helps customers understand not just isolated equipment performance but the broader operational impact across their facilities.
Deep Roots in Lakeland and Continued Community Investment
JBT Marel’s presence in Lakeland spans more than 84 years, reflecting a longstanding partnership with the local community. Over the decades, the company has grown alongside the region, contributing to the local business economy and workforce development.
The reimagining of the Lakeland CIC highlights JBT Marel’s continued investment in the area. According to Lakeland General Manager Patrick Canning, the renovation not only enhances the level of guidance and collaboration available to customers but also underscores the company’s enduring commitment to the community. By expanding its capabilities and modernizing its infrastructure, JBT Marel strengthens both its global operations and its local footprint.
The upgraded facility is expected to attract customers from around the world, bringing industry professionals to Lakeland for consultations, demonstrations, and training programs. This influx of visitors further reinforces the center’s role as a hub for innovation and economic activity in the region.
Flexible Access and Real-World Production Environment
A defining feature of the Lakeland CIC is its ability to provide customers with a true-to-life food processing factory environment. Companies can schedule live consultations with JBT Marel specialists either in person or online, ensuring flexible access to expertise regardless of geographic location.
Customers can conduct private sessions tailored to their specific production challenges, test new recipes, evaluate packaging solutions, and train operational teams without disrupting their regular manufacturing schedules. This flexibility allows businesses to innovate without compromising day-to-day operations.
By combining hands-on testing, advanced laboratory analysis, immersive digital tools, and collaborative expertise, the renovated Lakeland Customer Innovation Center positions JBT Marel at the forefront of sustainable food technology. The facility stands as a tangible demonstration of the company’s commitment to advancing food processing solutions that are efficient, safe, and environmentally responsible—helping customers meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global food system.
Source Link: https://www.businesswire.com/
